Overland: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya

While in Bahir Dar a couple weeks ago I met a guy named Dave from South Africa. He had driven from S. Africa to Egypt with his daughter in his Land Rover. She flew home and he is on his way home. To fill the empty seat and reduce his fuel costs he has been giving rides to backpackers. I was the second and filled the seat for 6 days from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. It was a 1,800 kilometer drive, with about 600km unpaved through the Northern Kenyan desert.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia







The night before we left we chewed a bunch of chat, a mildly stimulating local plant. The guy on the right is Johan, the guy who drove with Dave through Sudan





We drove through Shashemene, the home to some 200 Rastafarians who were invited back to Africa from Jamaica by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1963





The start of the rains came after the long dry season in Southern Ethiopia and it was already far greener than when I was here 2 weeks previous. A typical dwelling





As we got further south in Ethiopia the landscape changed. Far less vegetation and very red earth. Lots of termite mounds as well, reminds me of Northern Australia





As we descended into Northern Kenya we left the rains and entered the desert. Not so much the stereotypical desert of sand (except a few sections) but very hot, very dry, and very little vegetation. Not many people either and certainly the worst stretch of road on the drive



About halfway through the desert there is a town called Marsabit where we spent a night. It is on a plateau about 1,000 meters above the desert and therefore has different climate, ie gets lots of rain. The morning during the heavy rain as we headed back down towards the desert we came across this truck. They couldnt get it out so they leveled out the piles of aggregate for road repair to allow us to pass


This guy probably would have been better to stay out of the ditch during this very heavy rain






Back into the desert, lots of camels around







Typical mode of public transport in Northern Kenya, riding on top of cargo trucks






We startled a pack of vulcars on the road. I couldn't see what they were eating but I could definetely smell it






A typical camp set up - Dave slept in the Land Rover and I slept in the tent. We camped 5 nights and got rain on 4 of those nights. This night, when I had good shelter, no rain!








We camped near the base of Mt. Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa and one of the few with glaciers. Had a good view in the morning while the clouds cleared





Crossing the equator in Kenya










Nairobi, Kenya